There were a lot of hype and pressure when India clashed against Pakistan last Sunday, but as a matter of fact the real battle will be fought this Sunday when the defending world champions India will face South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Both teams are balanced and the match is expected to be a very exciting one.
India vs South Africa: Clash of the Titans
Historically the Proteas have always been a very strong cricket team. The likes of Shaun Pollock, Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Allan Donald and many other fantastic cricketers have always formed the core of South African squad. They might have failed to remain invincible for a number of times, but Proteas are known for putting up a strong fight and challenge.
India’s track record against South Africa has always been an unfortunate case. As per World Cup records the Proteas have won all 3 world cup games that they have played against India in 1992, 1999 and 2011. Also, their overall ODI record against India is an astonishing one. They have won 42 out of the 70 ODIs that India and South Africa have played so far. India could win only 25 games only and the remaining 3 games have ended as No-Result.
Although the upcoming match between South Africa and India is set to be viewed as a finely balanced contest between our batsmen and their bowlers, but the match could turn out to be anyone’s game. There is always some crazy moment when these two teams clash against each other. During the last world cup Proteas beat India at a very nail-biting fashion. The upcoming clash is also set to thrill the cricket fans again.
JP Duminy the African all-rounder has recently stated to the media that he is fully confident that his team will perform well in the upcoming matches. South Africa have been producing some amazing cricket over the last few months. AB de Villiers stunning century to a recent victory when the Proteas recorded a 62-run win against Zimbabwe after they reached to 83/4 at one stage, they are definitely a strong team that India will have to reckon with.
The South Africa as a team is the most balanced one; on one hand you have the world class bowlers like Wayne Parnell, Dala Steyn and Morne Morkel while on the other hand, you have some of the world’s best batsmen like du Plessis, Ab De Villiers, David Miller and Hashim Amla.
However, South Africa have not been the fortunate enough to clinch a victory in the finals of any editions of the Cricket World Cup. India on the other hand, have won the prestigious tournament twice in the year 1983 and 2011 respectively. It would be interesting to see how the Men-in-blue will tackle the likes of Steyn and Morkel at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground this Sunday.
Tags: Cricket World Cup, CWC 2015, India, MCG, Melbourne Cricket Ground, ODI, Proteas, South Africa, World Cup
